Buying a Business in Florida
The Numbers
FY2025 Acquisition Loans
628
$777M approved
Median Loan
$769k
FY2020 through FY2025
Loans Since FY2020
2,629
$3.17B in total approvals
Share of U.S. Activity
7.3%
Of change-of-ownership loans
What the Data Says
Florida ranks 3rd of 53 states and territories for change-of-ownership SBA 7(a) lending: 2,629 loans since FY2020, 7% of the national total.
The typical deal runs large: its $769k median loan sits above the $650k midpoint across states, so expect bigger checks and the larger injection and cash flow they need.
Activity is accelerating: FY2025's 628 loans ran ahead of the state's own ~438 a year pace since FY2020.
The most-financed target is full-service restaurants (137 loans), and the 5 most active lenders wrote about 31% of the state's acquisitions, a broad lender field.
Most Active Acquisition Lenders in Florida
- 1. Live Oak Banking Company337 loans
- 2. The Huntington National Bank239 loans
- 3. First Internet Bank of Indiana103 loans
- 4. BayFirst National Bank71 loans
- 5. Beacon Bank and Trust66 loans
A lender being active in Florida does not require a local branch; several top SBA lenders work nationally. Build a shortlist with Lenders.
What Gets Bought in Florida
- Full-Service Restaurants137 loans
- All Other Specialty Trade Contractors105 loans
- Landscaping Services85 loans
- Insurance Agencies and Brokerages84 loans
- Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors84 loans
Industry-specific pricing and diligence live in the Guides. Where the buyable targets sit in Florida, by county, is in the Florida buying guide.
Method & Source
Computed from the SBA 7(a) FOIA loan-level dataset (FY2020 through FY2025), filtered to approvals flagged change of ownership with a Florida project address. Approvals, not closings; excludes conventional and 504 financing.